


Your Love Will Make Me Stronger

by Close_enough_to_lose



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 22:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9569753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Close_enough_to_lose/pseuds/Close_enough_to_lose
Summary: Yuuri knows the public will hate him for stealing Victor from the ice. It does not mean he is happy about it.Or, how Victor and Yuuri discover each other's trust and more.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who decided to write a YOI fic instead of continuing their No. 6 fic, and is also procrastinating on school work on top of everything?
> 
> Anyhow, this piece came to life because I am convinced Yuuri and Victor started dating some time between episodes 4 and 5. In episode 4, Yuuri was still awkward around Victor, but come episode 5, and suddenly they are super touchy feely. The fic fills in that gap.
> 
> I honestly did not know how to title my work, but I guess it relates to Yuuri's theme for the GPF.
> 
> Also, "Victor" spelled with a "c" because that way he is my name twin :)
> 
> \--- Not beta'd so if you notice something wonky, please tell me! ---

_“The public will think you stole Victor from the ice. They are going to hate you.”_

Yuuri knew it was true. In the public’s eye, Victor Nikiforov, the skating world champion who had yet to break more records and win more medals, left competition to coach some unremarkable Japanese skater. And Yuuri could almost sympathise. Though he was eternally grateful – and he still could not believe – that Victor was his coach, he himself wanted to compete against Victor as an equal on the ice. With him as his coach, that was no longer a possibility.

However, despite the fact that he understood the situation, he still took these words to heart, and the implications terrified him. He knew his friends and family meant well: they merely told him what to expect. He tried to rationalize with himself in order to calm the anxiety welling up inside him, but to no avail. Anxiety or not, the pressure was still there. Stealing a world champion would burden anyone.

And so, Yuuri silently retreated to his room. He thought about his next move. _Maybe I should quit after all and let Victor compete? It’s not too late, there is still time for him to practice routines. No, that means I wasted his time. But what if I flop the Grand Prix Final again? It would be an even bigger waste of his time. But now I am underestimating Victor as a coach …._

A soft knock on the door followed by the sound of Victor’s voice interrupted Yuuri’s thoughts.

“Yuuri, can I come in?”

Yuri hesitated. When Victor first came to Hasetsu, Yuuri would refuse his attempts to get closer, partly because he was afraid, and partly because of something that, at the time, he could not quite place. Lately however, he started opening up to his coach. There has been a shift of attitude between both men, and Yuuri felt more comfortable with Victor. In fact, he grew to appreciate the other man’s company. He decided to let him in.

Hearing Yuuri’s approval, Victor entered the room. Yuuri, who was on his bed, gestured with his left hand, inviting the other man to sit beside him. An almost imperceptible smile graced Victor’s lips for a second, before it was replaced by an air of concern. He was glad, at least, that his protégé was more at ease with him.

“What happened, Yuuri? You look so gloomy. I’m worried about you.”

Yuuri was playing with his hair while trying to find a way to express his fears. He sighed.

“Victor, do you really think people will hate me? Did I really steal you from the ice?”

“Ah, so that’s what’s been eating at you. Hm … what do you think, Yuuri?”

Yuuri tensed in frustration.

“I am the one who asked for _your_ opinion. Why are you asking me?”

“I need to know what you think before I can help you,” Victor clarified.

Victor realised he might have sounded dismissive before, which did not help Yuuri’s anxiety. He mentally reprimanded himself for that. Years and years of his life he spent competing, neglecting his personal life. As a result, he did not always know how to communicate his thoughts and feelings with others. He genuinely wanted to help the younger skater, but he was irritated at his own cluelessness. He tried to recall what Yuuri had told him at the beach, something about meeting him halfway.

“…but of course, if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to share,” Victor added.

“N-No, it’s fine,” Yuuri replied.

 Yuuri told himself he would open up to Victor more. And if he let him inside his room, which he seldom did, it was because he wanted to open up. He looked at Victor, who was gently smiling. He thought about the question. The Victor he saw in front of him was a vulnerable, flawed being. He was not trying to please a crowd with a strained smile. Though Victor did not tell him all that he went through, Yuuri could see in his eyes that he left competition because that strained smile began to hurt. If Victor trusted him enough as to not veil his emotions, Yuuri could trust him as well.

“I think … people might hate me for stealing from a 5 times gold medalist from the ice, but …”

“Yeah?”

“…they can’t hate me for stealing you. Because they don’t know you, not the real you.”

Yuuri’s nervous expression was replaced with one of determination. Victor was glad.

“So, how does that make you feel?”

“Nervous. The pressure of having the whole world hating you…” Yuuri sighed at the thought. He felt Victor’s inquiring gaze prompting him further. “…but also proud, excited, maybe even a bit possessive?”

“Will you be able to incorporate those feelings into your skating?”

“I … don’t see why not. Yeah. I can, I will. I think they will fit the theme of Eros. It’s a selfish type of love. I can see it…” Yuuri trailed off as he reimagined the story of his short program to reflect his feelings.

“That’s the spirit!”

Victor was proudly beaming. He was starting to understand Yuuri better. Victor was sometimes clumsy around him, not knowing if what he says encourages or crushes the younger skater. But he was slowly learning how to help Yuuri navigate his anxiety and turn it into something more productive. He was an inexperienced coach, but he was getting a grasp on things and gradually improving. Coaching allowed him to experience new things every day. He was grateful to Yuuri for having given him a purpose when he was starting to lose his way.

“You know, Yuuri, I also had trouble with my emotions,” Victor confessed. “It did not show in my performances, but I was depressed. I was scared, because people always expected something new, and I did not know what to deliver. It was off the ice that I started crumbling, but on the ice, I had to keep up a façade of perfection. The disconnect between these two worlds started to take a toll on me. Then I decided to turn these negative feelings into something that I could incorporate into my skating. It did not solve everything, of course, but I felt like maintaining the façade was a bit less straining for the time being. I managed, at least, to feel a bit less split as a person. All this is to say that you can turn your feelings into something helpful. It’s not a permanent solution, but it helps,” he concluded.

Yuuri did suspect that something was wrong with Victor the last few years, but until then he did not know what it was exactly. Victor’s words, however, did not surprise him. After knowing him for a while, Yuuri understood that Victor the public figure could not be any more distinct from the man he came to appreciate. Having to keep up the charming public persona all while he was slowly losing his motivation must have been unbearable. And though Yuuri admired the skater and missed seeing him on the ice, he was happy Victor was able to take a break from his dual life. The soft, vulnerable side of Victor, unknown to the public, stirred in Yuuri feelings he did not know how to name.

“I never knew that about you. I appreciate you opening up to me like this,” Yuuri said, cherishing every bit of Victor’s trust. “I will definitely follow your advice!”

“No problem. After all, isn’t it my duty, as your coach, to share my experience so I can help you?”

“Yeah … I still can’t believe you’re my coach sometimes.” Yuuri chuckled. “Speaking of that, you avoided answering before, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on it … will the public really hate me for stealing you?”

Victor sighed. It was not an annoyed sigh, even though Yuuri’s nervousness was telling him otherwise.

“Honest answer? The public will hate you. They always want more and more, they want to be surprised, and it drains you. It’s why I took a break. The truth doesn’t matter, they will still think that you are the one who took me away, and you will have to face it, which is why I told you what I did earlier. But you also want my opinion on the situation, right?”

Yuuri nodded, eyes fixed on him.

“As I said, you haven’t stolen me from the ice. I came here of my own free will to find you. And I couldn’t be happier. I want to be by your side, Yuuri.”

Yuuri could not help but detect the suggestiveness of this last line. Which reminded him –

“Victor. Unrelated to coaching, back when we were at the beach … did you really…”

Yuuri was growing redder and redder, but he told himself he would get to the bottom of the matter.

“Yeah?” Victor encouraged with a soft voice.

“Did you -- when you were asking who you could be to me, you said “boyfriend”, and I was wondering … did you really mean it?”

Victor did not expect the question. After Yuuri’s initial response, he decided to drop the subject. He looked at Yuuri with wide, hopeful eyes.

“If I was serious, would you accept?”

Yuuri wanted to shrink under Victor’s gaze, but he mustered up his courage to continue the conversation. Both men had their hearts out in the open, and there was no point in turning back.

“Well, truth to be told,” Yuuri stammered, “back at the beach I was not sure about your sincerity, because you were asking what role you should play, and I didn’t want you to _play_ the role of a partner. But if you, not as a role, but as your true self, truly want this … then I want this too.”

Yuuri had a determined look on his face, which did not last long. Once he realized that he had essentially confessed to Victor, his anxiety took over once more.

“B-but of course you don’t have to accept! I’m really really sorry if I misread your inten- “

“Yuuri,” Victor interrupted before he could spill any more apologies. He put a hand on Yuuri’s cheek and gently caressed it.

“Y-yeah?”

“I _was_ serious. I may have been a bit artificial at the beach, but deep down, I meant it. I did not know what to expect, so I tried playing it off as a joke. And I’m the one who should apologize for putting you in an awkward position.”

“It’s okay. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten the courage to ask if you didn’t make the first move.”

Yuuri took Victor’s hand and intertwined their fingers. Yuuri looked into Victor’s eyes, and the only thing he saw was warmth and affection. He was shifting closer to the other, his cheeks flushed.

“Hold on a second, Yuuri. I just realised … this is the first time you have a partner, right?”

“Victor, if it’s to make fun of me …”

“No no no, that’s not it. I wouldn’t make fun of that. I just wondered…  may I steal your first kiss?”

Yuuri took this question as a cue to close the gap between their lips. It was clumsy and it did not last long, but it felt right.

“You just did,” Yuuri said while withdrawing from the kiss. “And Victor?”

“Yes?”

“You can officially sleep in my room now.”

\---

That night, as promised, they slept together. The newfound intimacy made Yuuri rest easier. The world might loathe him, but he has found the confidence to face it. Victor, whose warmth he could feel against his skin, was by his side. Yuuri could overcome this obstacle, because he had him.

And he had his love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked this, please check out my other YOI fics:
> 
> \--[ **Looking into the Future, We Can See the Beginning**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10022603) :  
>  A story from Victor's POV, recounting his childhood, the events of YOI, as well as some post-canon events, but it takes place in a world where homophobia does exist.
> 
> \--[ **Family Man**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10826598) :  
>  A Yakov appreciation fic
> 
> Thank you once more!!!


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